[UPDATED] Security Forces Rescue 15 Corps Members, Six Others Abducted By Gunmen In Kogi

 

Joint security forces comprising the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other auxiliary forces have rescued 15 corps members who were abducted in Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The rescue followed a sustained and intelligence-driven operation aimed at securing the safe recovery of the victims, dismantling criminal elements operating in the area, and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the corps members were rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, after a coordinated security operation.

General Onoja said the operation remains ongoing as security forces intensify efforts to locate and rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the kidnappers responsible for the attack.

He, however, appealed to residents and travellers within the affected communities to promptly report suspicious movements or information capable of assisting security forces in locating the remaining victims and tracking the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered security forces to sustain the offensive against kidnappers operating in Kogi State following the rescue of the corps members abducted on their way to Abuja from Bayelsa.

The Commissioner of Police, commending the personnel involved in the operation, described their efforts as gallant, professional and resilient.

He also acknowledged the support and cooperation of residents of the affected communities, particularly the provision of timely and credible information, which he said remains critical to the success of the operation.

The police urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant, and to promptly report suspicious movements or information that could assist the ongoing operation.

The Command assured residents that all available operational resources were being deployed to secure the safe recovery of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

It also said that further updates are expected as operational circumstances permit.

The police had last Friday said that 11 people, including an unidentified number of corps members serving under the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), were rescued after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma–Egane Expressway.

The abduction reportedly occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria–Onicha-Igo Junction.

According to the Kogi State Police Command, the armed men emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, abducting some of the passengers while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

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